2026-03-27-世界卫生组织-WHO_IPC_-_Global_Newsletter_N°57_4页_424kb

WHO Infection Prevention and Control Global Newsletter Summary

Core Content

This newsletter is part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) efforts to promote World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) 2026, with the central theme: "Action saves lives." It highlights the importance of hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC) in safeguarding both patients and health workers, especially in the context of public health emergencies and resource-limited settings.

Main Objectives and Key Messages

• Promote Hand Hygiene and IPC: The newsletter emphasizes the critical role of hand hygiene and IPC in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are a major threat to patient safety and contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
• Call for Action: It urges all healthcare providers, supporters, and stakeholders to refresh their actions on hand hygiene and IPC to ensure continued safety and quality of care.
• Global Action Plan: The 2026 WHHD is aligned with the WHO IPC Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework, which calls for improved IPC practices worldwide.
• Indicator for 2026: A key goal is to establish hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback in all reference hospitals by 2026.
• Support for Challenging Environments: The newsletter recognizes that in insecure, resource-limited, and overcrowded settings, maintaining IPC measures can be particularly difficult, but it is still essential to protect lives and prevent infections.

Key Information for Implementation

• Hand Hygiene Standards: Effective hand hygiene requires access to clean water, soap, clean towels, and alcohol-based handrub. In areas where tap water is unavailable, pre-filled containers with taps are preferred. When running water is available, touch-free access is ideal.
• Bar Soap Alternatives: If bar soap is necessary, small bars in drainage-friendly racks should be used.
• Hand Drying: Single-use towels (paper or cloth) are recommended for careful hand drying.
• Alcohol-Based Handrub: Locally produced handrubs that meet WHO standards are affordable and well-tolerated, making them a viable option for point-of-care use.

Supporting Resources and Activities

• WHO Global Webinar: A webinar is scheduled for 13 April 2026 to discuss actions and resources related to WHHD, helping stakeholders plan their approaches to meet WHO indicators and targets by 2030.
• Digital Toolkit Launch: A new digital toolkit will be available on the main campaign webpage, allowing customization of campaign materials such as posters, badges, email signatures, and social media templates.
• Campaign Engagement: The newsletter encourages sharing campaign activities and experiences on the WHO IPC Community of Practice, which has over 1900 members.
• Tele-Class and Evaluation: A WHO Webber tele-class is scheduled for 5 May 2026, followed by a post-5 May campaign evaluation report.

Call to Action

WHO urges international partners, governments, the public and private sectors, civil society, donors, and financiers to accelerate progress on hand hygiene and IPC, as part of the Hand Hygiene for All initiative. The organization emphasizes the importance of sustained IPC leadership and commitment to ensure that all healthcare settings, regardless of resources, can maintain high standards of hygiene and infection control.

Translation Note

This newsletter is not currently available in French or Spanish, due to resource constraints. WHO apologizes for any inconvenience and hopes to provide translations in the future.

Conclusion

The 2026 World Hand Hygiene Day serves as a reminder of the life-saving potential of hand hygiene and IPC. It is a call to action, collaboration, and continuous improvement to ensure that all healthcare environments are equipped with the necessary tools and infrastructure to protect patients and health workers.